Umut Sanat's second motion picture "Offside", directed by Serdar Akar, was released in 2000. The story is about an amateur football team in the neighborhood and love triangles within the residents of that neighborhood. "Offside" did not only collect 11 awards and also was shown at the Cannes Film Festival.

Credits:
Drama: 120'
Directed by Serdar Akar
Produced by Ustun Karabol and Nida Karabol Akdeniz
Original music: Fahir Atakoglu
Cinematography by: Mehmet Aksin
Cast: Mujde Ar, Savas Dincer, Rafet El Roman, Erkan Can, Sahnaz Cakiralp, Ugur Polat, Sezai Aydın, Ismail Incekara, Kemal Kocaturk, Tuncer Necmioglu, Sevinc Aktansel, Istar Gokseven, Ozdemir Ciftci, Devin Ozgur Cınar, Erdal Tosun, Yasar Abravaya, Nejat
Production year and country: 2000, Turkey
Distribution: Umut Sanat


Awards:

• 20th Int. Istanbul Film Festival
• Best Turkish Film
• Best Actor-Savaş Dinçel
• Best Director
• Audience Awards for the Best Film
• 8. ÇASOD (The Contemporary Movie Artists Association) 2001 Awards
  • Best Actor-Savaş Dinçel
• Writers Union of Turkey 2001 Awards
  • The Best Film
• 34. Siyad (Association of Turkish Cinema Critics) 2001 Turkish Cinema Film Awards
  • Best Film
  • Best Director
  • Best Screenplay
  • Best Actor-Savaş Dinçel
  • Best Promissing Actress- Şahnaz Çakıralp

Synopsis:

Suat, who still lives with his parents, Works at his father's store when he's not training as goalkeeper for Esnaf Spor, an amateur football team. Heading for his thirties and confirmed bachelorhood, Suat is in love with Nurten, the neighborhood beauty, but she has never answered any of the many secret letters he has sent her through Little Mustafa. The whole neighborhood's greatest wish is for Esnaf Spor to win the amateur football league championship, which would also give them a shot at becoming a professional club. The change to professional stirs the small-time opportunists into action.

Cem the young and the ambitious president of Ülkü Spor is amo0ng them. Serkan, a player who is hurriedly transferred to Esnaf Spor has his first taste of sex with Aynur, who has been having a long but discreet affair with Hacı, the team trainer. Aynur is an ageing call girl rumored to be an Armenian descent, who lives on the fringes of the town. Serkan's transfer affects the girls of the neighborhood more than the team. Suat sees Serkan and Nurten talking secretly in the street, and despite having never received a reply to his letters, he writes one last one telling her of his intention to marry her. On finding out that Serkan has beaten him to it, Suat goes mad and shuts himself away in Aynur's house. Hacı learns that Suat is at Aynur's and goes to console him. That night Suat overhears Hacı and Aynur talking and is surprised to find out about their relationship...